"We do like our pitching staff and the depth we’ve been able to come up with," Dipoto said. "We know there is some uncertainty with a handful of young pitchers as they learn the league, but we believe in their ability.

"The year Hector had last year was pretty good. The second-half surge we saw from Richards was very encouraging. Skaggs is a 22-year-old who has done what he can in the minor leagues, and we believe he’s ready for opportunity."